Promises Kept
by fantasydancer
Summary: Will is yet to learn exactly what is expected of a Ranger's apprentice. Warning: Contains disciplinary, paternal-like spanking with a switch. Don't like. Don't read.


**_A/N: I started writing this maybe ten months ago, and have worked on it off and on up until about two months ago. Finally I decided it was time to just finish it and publish it whether it sucked or not. So….I hope it's enjoyable!_**

**_Warning: Contains disciplinary, paternal-like spanking with a switch. Don't like. Don't read. _**

Will had been with Halt for but two months, and he was yet to learn that when Halt said something, he meant it. A promise he made, was a promise he kept.

Halt had sent him into the city to buy some much needed provisions and Will had been dying to get away from his training for a bit. Halt had seen the restlessness in the boy and Halt had thought even a short break of a few hours would do him a bit of good.

Will trudged back through the city. He loved training to be a ranger. He really did. But sometimes it was just so irksome. And Halt could be so grim and silent, that hearing the sounds of the city again felt strange and good all at the same time.

He turned the corner of the bakery, only to trip over someone's foot.

Will hit the ground with an unceremonious 'OOMPH'. Will's head spun for a moment before he heard the peals of laughter coming from behind him. He stood slowly and shakily, only to be grabbed and pulled down the alleyway between the baker's shop and the butchery.

Will struggled in his captor's grip, but it was no use. He twisted so he could see them better and he caught sight of three figures before he was dumped on the ground again.

"Well," One voice said. "If it ain't that Ranger runt's lap dog."

Will struggled to his feet only for one of the boys to step forward and punch him twice in the stomach, causing him to double over, groaning.

"He ain't made of much, is he?" Another asked.

"Nope." The third boy answered. Another punch came to Will this time nailing him in the jaw.

The boys laughed as Will's back hit the wall again and this time he slid down it. As they turned to go though the tallest boy fell flat on his face, a sudden weight having hit him squarely in the back.

Will fought with a vengeance this time, using the skills Halt had taught him in hand to hand combat. He was sick of being bullied and it seemed all his pent-up rage had finally gotten the better of him. Horace had bullied him for years and he hadn't been able to defend himself, but now he could.

He knocked one boy against the wall, leaving him unconscious. The tallest boy put up a good fight but in the end Will had him on the ground with three broken fingers and a cracked rib. The last boy and smallest of the three stood stock still throughout the entirety of the short skirmish, but as soon as Will finished with the others and turned toward him, he turned tail and fled.

Will considered pursuing him, but then thought better of it. He glanced at the two boys lying on the ground, and suddenly something came back to him. Something Halt told him.

"Should you find any trouble in the village, Will, I will know of it, understand?"

"Yes, Halt." Will had said, still bouncing on the balls of his feet, and not exactly listening to his teacher.

Now as Will thought back he realized that he had done exactly what Halt had told him not to. Halt would know. His teacher seemed to know _everything._

Will suddenly realized that a small audience had gathered to watch the spectacle. Will quickly grabbed the basket he'd been carrying with the groceries, thankful it had a cover on it so that none of the contents had spilled out, and hurried away, head down and his cowl pulled low over his face so no one would see his anxious expression.

All he could think was: _Halt is going to kill me._

* * *

Halt was polishing his arrows when Will returned.

Halt glanced up at the boy. He seemed somewhat overly cheerful. And Halt could see right through it.

"Did you get the coffee?" Halt asked casually.

"Yes, Halt."

"The buns?"

"Yes, Halt."

Will was making himself busy putting away the groceries, his cowl still hiding his face. Halt studied him. The boy was no good at subterfuge when it came to himself, he thought. Though he supposed that was alright, just so long as he was good when it came to others.

Once the groceries were put away, Will turned to make towards his room. He had to walk within arm reach of Halt to get to his room. This was to be his undoing because as soon as he was near enough a hand reached out and locked his arm in an iron grip.

"Will." Halt's voice was gruff and slightly warning.

"Yes?" Will asked still not looking at his mentor.

Halt placed a finger under Will's chin and tilted the boy's face up towards him. Will's busted lip and bruised cheek stung worse under Halt's gaze. Will kept his eyes downcast as his master perused his face.

"Hmm. I thought as much."

"Halt, I can explain," Will began. Halt waited patiently for the boy to go on, knowing that there was nothing Will could say. Will knew it too. He faltered and then looked down again.

"Go cut a switch."

Will's eyes widened, and his head snapped up. "Halt, please, I'm sorry. I won't do it ever again, I promise." He pleaded miserably.

Halt watched his apprentice carefully. "I plan to make sure of that. I have warned you about causing trouble before. Now go."

Will gave Halt one last desperate look before miserably trudging back outside.

Halt really would rather not have to punish the boy. But a promise was promise, and Halt kept good on his word.

It wasn't like it was the first time he'd punished a boy before, Halt thought wryly. Gilan had been quite a handful on occasions. Halt chuckled humorlessly as he remembered his former apprentice's endeavors that had somehow always landed him in trouble.

Will felt a burning sensation behind his eyes. He'd disappointed Halt. And that stung more than any switching would.

Will stopped at a nearby oak tree and after finding a sizable branch he cut it down with the smaller of his two knives. Making his slow way back, Will stripped the twigs and leaves off of the branch, sniffling and stopping every now and again to swipe a hand across his damp eyes.

Halt looked up as Will entered. The boy had finally removed his hood and in the dim firelight Halt could see the sheen of tears already forming in the young boy's eyes. Halt felt a twinge of sympathy for him before hardening his heart.

Halt held out his hand for the switch which Will handed him mournfully. He looked at Halt with pleading eyes, but Halt called upon years of practice at keeping his face impassive, and managed not to let any compassion pass over his features.

Halt inspected the oak branch mildly. He thought it a bit ironic that Will had chosen an oaken branch, but he didn't comment. Instead Halt patted his knee. "Over." He commanded, his voice gruff, but not unkind.

Will hesitated, and then resigning himself to his fate, bent over Halt's knees. Halt wrapped a strong arm around the boy, securing him in place. Will squirmed a bit, not liking how Halt's thighs bit into his stomach. It only added to the fluttery feeling that was already there.

It had been many, many years since Will had found himself in this particular position, but never about to face a switching from a grizzled senior Ranger. Somehow that just made it all the worse.

"You know why we're here?" Halt asked him, drawing Will from his grim musings.

Will nodded. "Yes." He said quietly.

Halt studied the dark head that hung down limply. Will had one hand on Halt's thigh to steady himself, and the other gripping Halt's calf.

"Explain to me." Halt said evenly.

Will hesitated. "I injured three boys from the village. But Halt, they were insulting me, and they tripped me!"

"Even so you should not have given in to your anger and pursued the course they were headed."

"I couldn't let them get away with it." Will argued, squirming.

"But you could have told me. Or even called for help."

"I didn't want to seem weak." Will muttered.

Halt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "That's not seeming weak, that's using your head."

"I thought you said apprentices weren't supposed to think." Will replied, somewhat cheekily.

Halt did roll his eyes this time, and sighed too. He tapped Will's bottom with the switch, though not hard enough to hurt. "That's not thinking, boy, that's common sense."

"Oh."

Halt suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Do you have anything else you wish to tell me before we begin?"

"I'm really, really sorry." Will offered shyly.

Halt softened. "I know."

He tapped the boy's backside once in warning before bringing it down sharply at the crest of his bottom. Will jerked and gasped, and his stinging eyes widened. This hurt _so_ much more than he imagined. Halt set into a steady rhythm, working his way down to the boy's thighs and then starting over at the crest of Will's bottom. He had already decided a solid fifteen swats should be enough. He wasn't using his full strength on the boy of course. But he was certainly using enough to ensure that Will wouldn't repeat such an incident again.

By the end of the first circuit Will already felt tears on his cheeks. He hadn't been far from tears when they began so it wasn't surprising.

By the end of the second circuit Will was vowing to never again even enter the city if it meant getting into a fight. The first of many sobs choked his throat and Will suddenly realized he didn't know what Halt would think of him if started blubbering on like a baby.

He'd disappointed Halt with his behavior. He'd acted like a foolish boy, not like a Ranger's apprentice.

Halt saw Will struggling and paused for a moment. The boy was afraid Halt would think less of him for his tears. Halt shook his head slightly. "You don't have to hold back your tears, boy. I promise I won't think less of you for them."

Will sniffled and choked back another cry, but he couldn't help it, as the sob of guilt wracked his chest. Halt hardened his heart and continued with the switching, mentally counting off the last five.

When he was done he broke the switch and placed it on the table behind him. Will lay over Halt's lap for a moment trying to calm himself. Halt lay his hand on Will's back feeling the tension leave the small body as he did so.

Will tried to calm his breathing and tears but he couldn't seem to. Halt realized something was wrong and after a moment of listening to the guilt filled sobs he said sternly, "Will."

Will inclined his head slightly as though he were listening. He tried to push himself up, but Halt kept him pinned down.

"Will. Quiet down and listen to me, boy."

Will took a deep breath and slowed his breathing. Halt waited until the sobs had stopped and the boy's breathing had slowed before continuing. "You have not disappointed me. Whatever you may think. Your actions were those unbecoming of a Ranger's apprentice, yes, but you are forgiven for them now."

Will sucked a deep breath. "R-really?"

"Really." Halt rubbed Will's back for another moment before saying, "Come now, up with you." He placed his hands under Will's armpits and helped the boy to his feet.

Will stood before his master, sniffling, his eyes downcast. Mostly from embarrassment.

Halt stood as well, and lifted Will's chin. He studied the black eye and split lip for another moment before sighing and pulling the still sniffling boy into a hug. Will's arms wrapped around Halt and for a moment they stood embracing one another.

Then Will pulled back, sniffling, and swiping a hand over his face. "You want me to start supper?"

"No, I will. You can finish polishing these arrows."

Will looked at the pile of dirt-coated arrows with distaste. Finally he sighed. "Fine." He grabbed one and dejectedly picked up a polishing rag to begin when Halt stopped him.

"And you will complete this task sitting."

Will gaped at him. "But, Halt," He tried.

Halt gave him a look that didn't bode very well for the youngster. Will looked at the hard oak chair, and then rubbed his bottom before giving his mentor a pleading look. Halt swatted Will's bottom, eliciting a cry from the boy before grabbing his arm and plopping him onto the chair.

Will hissed, his bottom smarting, but he only glared at the Ranger and started cleaning. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could get up from here after all.

After about a half hour of squirming, and shifting, and pleading looks being thrown at his back Halt decided to have a bit of mercy on the boy. There were only a few arrows left as it were and as soon as Will had finished those Halt placed a mug of coffee, generously laced with honey, in front of the tired boy.

Will looked at him incredulously before quickly taking the mug and taking a large gulp. Then he asked, "Can I get up now?"

Halt nodded. "Yes. Though supper should be ready in a few minutes, so don't go anywhere.

Will sprang up before Halt had finished speaking, and taking his coffee with him, darted outside for some fresh air, though his gait was a bit hindered.

The corners of Halt's lips twitched. He'd forgotten just how much he enjoyed having an apprentice in the house.

**_So really not my best at all, but eh. Maybe I'll redo it someday. Thanks for reading though!_**


End file.
